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Blood Bound Rebellion
Chance Meeting of Fate A man with long dark blue hair and slate gray eyes walked down a quiet street in the waning hours of the day. His every step was accompanied by the soft whisper of his ebony cloak swaying and his boots clacking. Memories flooded back as he walked along, whistling and trying his best to remain inconspicuous. After all, he was a notorious Dark Mage, one of the most wanted among their number, no less. Not far from where he walked, he often schemed his darkest of plans to overthrow the world as it was, to remake it in a hellish way. The thought left a grim feeling inside of him, one of failure. The feeling tore at him like a jagged knife, only fueling his frustrations. After a while, he found the old bar he loved so much, one of the few places that didn’t run him out when he was revealed as a criminal. Two thoughts pervaded the young man’s mind, and one way or another, both would be satisfied. He walked in and spotted the bartender, slinging drinks in record time. He casually walked over, a smile plastered on his face. The bartender did a double take when he saw the wanted criminal so casually strut across the bar. As the young man sat down, the bartender leaned forward. “What the...You’re one of the most wanted men in the world, and you come walking in here? What’s the matter Rei? Thought we were pals.” The man known as Rei simply held out bag full of Jewels. “Friends don’t charge a grand just to get a bit of information. Thought you knew that, right Karasu?” Rei started, using the bartender’s old nickname from his time on the darker side of mages. “ Anyway, I need you to tell me everything you got on Ash Sangria. Ask no questions, but I need to speak with this guy.” Karasu frowned. “Rei, you’re a good customer, and you know you’ll always have a spot here if you’d just mend your ways, but damn it lad, if you go huntin’ for the Blood Dragon King, well, then I’ll have to throw your ass in jail, for your own good.” he said, shaking his head and setting a glass full of silver liquid right in front of Rei, the bar’s signature drink, Demonsbane. “Tell ya what lad, keep your money, the Demonsbane’s on the house tonight. Drink and leave.” Rei sipped his drink in momentary silence, leaving the bag of money on the counter. The sweet taste the drink carried was countered quickly with the acohol's burning sting. "No. I'm not leaving until either you tell me where to find this guy. Trust me old friend, I'm going to need his help." "Is that so?" The bartender, Karasu, chuckled slightly despite the graveness of the situation that his friend was dealing with. All the while, his thoughts pondered to the man known as Ash Sangria, the Blood Dragon King as some would call him. A melancholic, brooding man who held a ferocity that bordered on the supernatural...that was the description given to the man who Rei wished assistance from. However, perhaps the most frightening aspect of the individual was...his tenacity. Regardless of how far you had pulled him, he would never give in to anything that defied his goals; what were those? Nobody had known. "Wait..." Karasu's senses piqued and he looked towards the door, eyeing it momentarily. What he saw astonished him beyond belief, but his gaze was quickly lowered as to avoid suspicion. The person who had entered appeared almost ethereal: ghostly pale skin, shockingly green eyes, pitch black hair and an attire clad in white. He stood with his back upright, before relaxing slightly as his eyes were narrowed on the man who, ironically, had been pursuing him, before sitting on an isolated table in the corner of the establishment. While he awaited for someone to take his order — or so it seemed — the man appeared to be drowned in his thoughts. "This human...he's no ordinary one. I cannot let a man like him run free without understanding him first..." His thoughts were left discontinued as another waiter had approached him, keeping his attention away from the counter for a few moments. "Rei..." The bartender almost shivered when he began to spoke. "That man who just entered..." He paused, gulping as his adam's apple became more visible under pressure. "He's the one you're looking for. What you plan to do with him, however..." Karasu turned around, "Do it away, far, far away." Rei noticed his friend become jittery. He set the glass down and stood up, turning away from the bar. “Karasu, I’ll make sure to protect the bar, just don’t worry. Now lose the nervous face. After all, it doesn’t suit you.” Before the bartending ex-criminal could reply, Rei walked over to where his mark was sitting, scowling as he walked. Inside his head, he could hear the rasping growl of a beast beyond his control, the urge to nurse another glass of Demonsbane growing. However, he knew his chance had come, and if he let it pass, no amount of drinks would sate the new monster that shared his body. When he reached the table, he sat down directly across the pale man. “The name’s Rei Mokuzai. You must be the legendary Ash Sangria. You just made my night. I was just about to come looking for you personally, but you spared me the effort. But of course, it begs a question, why? Why are you here? Can’t be for the wonderful ambiance, that’s for sure.” he said, attempting to break the ice between him and the mage in front of him. "Is that so?" Ash looked up towards the person sitting before him with scrutiny. "Rei Mokuzai...I've heard this name somewhere." He thought briefly before answering the man's second question. "It's simple," Ash began to speak, "I was here on an assignment." Ash lied through his teeth, knowing full well the consequences of Rei understanding his intentions. Rei had to suppress a chuckle. "I see. Well, I'll let you keep your real reason to yourself. However, unlike you, I don't have the luxury of silence, nor the time to be. I need your help, oh great king of dragons. I need you to help re-forge a seal, one of great power. You see, I may have revived Zeref's Failure, the Demiurge. It's currently inside my soul, powerless. But if its power comes back...I don't even think you could stand against it. See how we can both benifit here?" As he spoke, Rei could feel the monster he talked about stirring, feeding on the fears of the man who played host to it. "So, what do you say Ash? Want to help stop the most dangerous thing created by the most dangerous man to ever live?" "A foolish endeavor." Ash responded bluntly, "I will not become a puppet to seal an entity that exists to destroy he who defies creation; that is not my purpose." Ash was adamant and despite the casual setting both men were placed in, his harsh glare broke almost all attempts of negotiation in that instant. Rei frowned. "I never said you'd become a puppet. All you have to do is dominate the remaining fragment of of one of the eight demons that held the seal for hundreds of years...considering some mere mortals killed them at full power, wouldn't that be simple for you? Heh, and whatever powers that demon held when it was alive become yours. But I suppose you're not interested in power, are you? What would it take to change your mind?" "Are you, perhaps, stating that..." Ash pondered for a moment. The word domination held great importance to him; it was an extension of the legacy of the Blood Dragon King. He could, perhaps, make an opportunity out of this rather odd proposition. "This demon you speak of," Ash quickly changed what he intended to say previously, "When revived at full power, could it murder even a Dragon?" The answer to this question was the deciding factor of Ash's agreement or disagreement, for he was the one to carry the legacy of a Blood Dragon. Rei had to actively hide his amusement at the sudden change in Ash's demenor. "You're asking if the strongest demon ever could end the life of a dragon? Yeah, it probably could. And I would know full well how strong this damned demon is, I've seen its power with my own two eyes." What he doesn't need to know is that I saw it through my own eyes... he thought, a twisted sense of pride in his ability to keep his memories of that event, despite his mind and body were enslaved by the great demon, flooding through him. "If that is the case then..." Ash pondered, "I would have you demonstrate this power to me. If you can defeat me, I will join your cause. It is as simple as that." Being a Dragon Slayer, even Ash couldn't resist a good battle; he had been craving blood for a while now, this was the perfect opportunity to relish in it. Rei blanched. He knew getting Ash to accept something so outlandish was an uphill battle, but he didn't expect a literal fight. "Fine. But let's take this fight elsewhere. Kinda made a promise not to blow this place to kingdom come. Know anywhere we can fight without restriction?" he asked, his own urge to fight rising, especially since he could feel Ash's own bloodlust. If he wants a battle, then I'll give him one he'll never forget. Listen up you shitty demon. I know you can hear my thoughts. Don't screw me here. I need you as much as you need me, and without me, you're nothing but a ghost of what you really are. Get it? he mentally said, trying to get the attention of the demon within. The only reply he recieved was an indifferent grunt, by far the most confirmation Rei had ever gotten from the thing inside him ever since they were bound. "Follow me." Ash stated as he stood up and began to walk out of the establishment, his footsteps echoing as he stepped on the wooden floor, causing slight perspiration from Karasu before he regained his composure as he saw Ash head out of the establishment. Rei likewise stood up and followed Ash out of the bar, a sinister smirk on his face. His demeanor had changed, the fun loving criminal replaced with the infamous Seller, the cold-hearted assassin who’d in a heartbeat take a job, no matter how absurd, so long as the pay was good. In Rei’s mind, facing Ash was now a job worthy only of his best right from the start, the highest honor he could bestow. As much as the prospect of facing such an opponent frightened him, it also excited him greatly, and as such, he would do all in his power to make sure even his loss would be a hard-earned one. Ash, on the other hand, felt a bit of excitement as well. His natural blood had told him to seek out fights, but his morals, on the other hand, knew not to do so unless the circumstances were dire; these were dire circumstances. The Blood Dragon King continued to move forward, past the town and into an open area a few hundred meters away, where nothing more than pine trees littering the land and grassy fields swaying at the feet of the two fighters. Rei remained just behind his new adversary, his mind on much more than the stories that would spread if he emerged victorious in the battle to come. “This is a good spot. Secluded, with plenty of trees for cover...Yeah. Good enough.” His voice lost the friendly tone it had before, replaced with a steely edge. He drew his blade to prove from that moment on, it was a war between them. “One condition. Come the end of this fight, we both get a chance to walk away. I don’t see the point in killing you, and you gain nothing with my death either.” Dragons and Demons: Supernatural Destruction! "Understandable." Ash responded to the sentiments that Rei posed; their deaths would accomplish nothing more than chaos within the underground world of Dark Mages. "Given that we have established formalities..." Ash began to take a step forward, and as soon as his right foot inched forward, his body had flickered away from the position he was standing at, immediately placing himself in front of Rei. "Let's begin." The Blood Dragon Slayer called out, while doing so, he clenched his fist and, with great speed, snapped it forward towards Rei's abdomen in, what appeared to be, a successful attempt to strike him; with the momentum of his previous movement and the air behind him, it would feel as if a giant had propelled Rei away with but a flick of his finger! Rei swore his eyes were being fooled by an illusion as Ash vanished in a flicker, only when the man appeared again directly in front of him, arm poised to strike did he realize it wasn’t a mere trick but a sign of how outclassed he was as a mere human. Before he could even mount a defense, he felt the impact and his body was sent sprawling back a good solid meter. He swore for a moment the the blow shattered something, although he passed it off as mere fear. ‘''Damn... Karasu wasn’t joking...this guy is dangerous. I’ve gotta end this soon''.’ Rei dashed forward, poised to strike with his blade, which glowed red from the sudden influx of magical energy he focused through it. “Flashing Edge!” he called out, the power of Lucifer, the Fire Lord, and by extention the Demiurge within him, causing the sword to ignite in azure flames. He aimed for and slashed at Ash’s shoulder. The flames extended away from the sword, interrupting Ash's timing as he pushed off to his left by pushing on the ground with his right foot, leaving a slight burn on his right shoulder. However, Ash knew that leaving unnecessary openings would be the death of him. As such, he immediately placed himself appropriately on the ground once more, regaining his posture prior to drawing Rei into his range as he continued to move forward, sending out another small wave of pressure from his strong stance as lifted his knee nearer to his waist, before sending the entirety of his leg forward in a powerful horizontal kick aimed to disorient Rei's follow-up strike. Rei saw Ash’s kick and grew wide-eyed. In a single moment, he realized in a contest of speed, even his best was nothing compared to the unbelievable speeds he had to contend with, and that Ash’s previous flickering wasn’t a fluke in the slightest but that the difference between them was indeed that great. Gathering his courage, he knew how to take control of the situation. Gathering his magic power, the spell he sought to cast began to take form even before he called its name. “Air Shell!” he yelled, the air around him swirling. In a fraction of a second, the hurricane around him was thrashing about with enough force to deflect Ash’s strike. Smirking, the criminal mage remembered the numerous times that very trick had saved him from certain death in the past. Knowing that the window of opportunity was closing fast, he leapt into action. Dashing forward, he aimed to impale Ash’s slightly burned shoulder on his blade. Inside his mind, he felt the Demiurge stirring, much like his former demonic spirit, Beelzebub, had during tense moments or the use of magic at all, a sign that the spirit he harbored was looking for a mental weakness, a chance to take over. That was the fight he wished he didn't have to deal with, least of all while facing somebody so beyond him in physical ability. "Striking at my weakest point; an effective strategy." Ash noted as his kick was deflected by the air that surrounded Rei, momentarily losing balance as both of his legs had reached the ground, leaving his right leg slightly bent. Using his bent knee as a prompt, Ash quickly caused his other leg to bend down, leaving Rei completely open as his lunge went straight past his shoulders due to Ash being closer to the ground. At that very moment, Ash completely bent his right knee, using this opportunity to lift his left knee, snapping it forward with the intent of kicking his abdomen, yet again, pushing him back in order to recollect his footing. Rei felt his body lurch as his attempted skewering went awry. It infuriated him to no end to be so outclassed, a feeling that only grew as he realized in his haste to exploit a simple opening, he left his own being exposed. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ash’s foot move to land another kick. Reacting to the sudden motion, Rei reached down with his right hand and pulled the sheath of his sword free from his belt, aiming at Ash’s kick to deflect it long enough for him to leap backwards to put some distance between him and the dragon slayer he sought to recruit. ‘''Like this, I can’t win. He’s faster than me, stronger than me, and he’s only been toying with me this whole time. So, this is the power of the dragons...it’s unreal.’ Rei smirked, despite his fears of defeat looming with every passing second. Drawing once more on the power of the eight demon lords, he felt the powers of Lilith, the power of the void, flow through him. Without even intoning a spell’s name, he threw the sheath towards Ash before the magic he brought forth took effect. Where once, he stood directly in front of Ash, he was now behind the raven-haired man, his sword once again consumed by flames. ''‘I doubt he can dodge now!’ he thought, swinging the blazing blade at point blank range, fully intent on igniting Ash as much as slashing him. As soon as distance was created between the two combatants, Ash knew he had to retain his solid stance as he took a backflip that enabled him to stand on both of his feet with his stance mellow once again. Suddenly, the man before him disappeared. His magic disappearing for a moment, Ash flinched as he suddenly appeared behind him. "Tch." He voiced to himself, suddenly causing a surge of magical energy across his arm as he raised it in the nick of time to avoid any major injuries; albeit, due to the intensity of the flames, they managed to both burn and slash his arm to some extent. Due to the impact of the slash, Ash was forced back a few steps, breathing slightly heavily for a moment. "For a human...his use of magic is very clever." Ash thought to himself; as soon as he did, he drew his own blade, the Rokushin Kenzoku along with a sudden burst of magic from his being. "I cannot afford to hold back my true potential any longer..." Ash stated to the man, placing his sword calmly in a horizontal position parallel to his chest, "Watch as I crush you here, mortal." Rei watched as Ash drew his own sword, a sadistic smile forming on his face. “Don’t hold your breath, dragon boy. We’ll see who crushes who.” Despite his bravado a mere moment before, the wanted criminal knew being prudent was his only recourse. He entered a defensive stance and sighed. The flow of the battle had begun to change, he could feel it. He could tell Ash was beginning to take him seriously, which could only mean trouble for him at the moment. ‘It’s suicide to dive in now...That much is obvious.’ he thought, triggering a passive use of the air spirit, Beelzebub, a trait likewise passed on to the Demiurge; the ability to sense air currents. Despite the clarvoiant nature of being able to sense the minute alterations of the air, Rei knew better than to trust the obvious and expect traps, even if his so-called sixth sense didn’t pick up on it. In a situation like the one he now faced, it could only lead to death if misused. It was a showdown of willpower; on one hand, Ash had vowed to defend his pride and goals, on the other hand Rei was fighting to save the world from utter destruction. On both ends, their nerves were unwavering. However, this confrontation of wills was now at its end. It only took a moment as Ash's step phased him out of existence, the leap causing a cloud of smoke to hover behind him as his figure reappeared before Rei. Knowing full well that Rei could anticipate his movements, Ash had no hesitation in announcing his next movement. "Blood Dragon's..." His voice began to echo, as blood dripped off from his hands and drowned his blade. "Claw." The declaration ended, with the horizontal face of the blood red blade now lifted over Ash's head, before being swung down diagonally a clear distance away from Rei, aiming to slash through the man's right shoulder down his torso, made evident by the crescent wave of energy that ripped the earth as it headed towards his direction. Rei’s eyes widened as he saw Ash seemingly phase in front of him, his gaze drawn instinctively to the reddened blade. He felt the wind itself gust past him from Ash’s speed, whispering of his fate in a silent tongue. As the crimson shockwave flew towards him in the small space between them, he swore under his breath and held his ground, unwilling to let his guard waver for even a moment. The attack’s impact was unlike anything he felt before. Searing blasts of pain tore through his body as it carved and scorched his skin and clothing with ease. Blasted backwards by the momentum of the technique, his back met the solid earth below with a resounding thud. Stars danced in his vision as his head crashed down with far more force than he would have liked. The jarring blow knocked his blade from his hands as his grip faltered. Is this all you got, son of man? Pathetic, don’t you think? When I controlled this body, it took twenty men and women to best us, and you can barely stand against one. Such a pity...I thought you were the one to lead this world to a chaotic future where power meant everything. Was I wrong, son of man? the demon’s voice echoed in Rei’s mind, taunting him. “No. I was the one who was wrong, to believe I could tame you and force you to serve my will alone. You are the source of my powers as they are now. I’ve never denied that. In order to see our shared vision, I need you to yield to me and let me fight, or so I thought. I...” his own mental voice replied the accusation. “Enough, child. Don’t presume to let your ego, the only aspect of you worth my respect, be tarnished with half-hearted excuses and lies to soothe me. If you continue to be a fool, I will take your body as my own and murder all you hold dear...Including that girl whom you seem so attached to. Noriko, I believe her name is.” At that, Rei’s willpower surged. “Leave her alone! Take my worthless body if that’s what you want, but don’t you dare take away the people I care for, especially her. If you ever think you’ll get away with that thought, I will end you.” The Demiurge roared with laughter. “So your ego isn’t the only thing that drives you, but that pathetic notion of emotion. But to have the gall to threaten me, you have guts whelp, more than anyone who’s tried and failed to bind me. Have it your way. I’ll...assist you in this fight, because your foolishness in challenging that man will get us both killed.” Slowly, Rei felt his body respond as he urged his limbs to push himself up again. Chaotic violet energy surged around him, mending the gash in his chest. His shredded coat hug loosely around him before being seemingly vaporized in the dark vortex that spun about him. The energy not only seemed to heal him but began to alter his form slightly. Form-fitting white cloth robed him from head to toe as a white cloak materialized around him, splitting into four coattails at his waist. Finally, a white cowl manifest, covering his face entirely, with two violet crystal-like eyes, all in all making Rei appear less human and more like some creature caught in evolution. “Ash Sangria, I should thank you for almost killing me. Now, I hope you don’t mind me returning the favor.” he said, his voice distorted, as if he were speaking through water. Mere moments after his sudden revival, not even waiting to hear the Dragon Slayer reply, he dashed forward, his speed greater than it had been a moment ago. If one could see under the expressionless hood, Rei smirked evilly as the power overtook him. In a matter of moments, he stood right before Ash again, having used his teleportation to switch places with the sheath of his sword, which he had tossed earlier. Taking advantage of his position, he generated ice around his hand and formed a jagged point and thrust his hand forward, intent on jamming the crystal clear and frigid weapon through Ash’s body. "This power...isn't human." Ash thought to himself as Rei's sudden transformation took him by surprise. In an attempt to cut through the sheath of Rei's sword as it moved forward with a horizontal slash, he had realized that his opponent had switched places with the said item, causing his eyes to dilate momentarily. With the demonic being's reinforced diamond-like skin being much harder than the material he was used to cutting, Ash's sword flung backwards and only barely allowed him the time to gather blood in his mouth from his stomach, sending out a small blast of blood that, rather than break through Rei's empowered defenses, caused Ash to fling back out of an urgency he hadn't felt previously. Making a backflip in the air, Ash had landed on both of his feet, skidding on the ground as he stabbed his sword into the earth to maintain his ground once more. Looking forward at Rei, Ash had cringed slightly, realizing the attack was successful in slightly piercing his abdomen due to the time it took to gather his energy. "It appears I must unveil...a bit more of my power." Ash thought to himself, as he held his sword firmly. "So this is the power I failed to comprehend previously..." Ash almost appeared as if he were smirking for but an instant, before finishing his thought. "I must admit...it is a power that is worth crushing." In that moment, Ash held his sword with the blade facing backwards as he pulled it out of the ground, leaping forward as the earth crumbled from the pressure exerted upon it. In that leap, Ash had quickly managed to close the distance between the two combatants. To further his attack, he held his sword upward and instantly brought in downward, attempting to slash Rei across his left shoulder with a perfectly arced swing. In order to keep the assault active and prevent any more openings from being recognized, Ash quickly shifted his grip on his sword by moving his wrist downwards, thus allowing him to send a horizontal slash towards Rei's waist in the hopes of bifurcating him and ending the battle therein. Rei tried to evade Ash’s first strike, but mistimed his movements just a fraction of a second, causing him to suffer a brutal gash across his shoulders. White cloth was stained crimson red by his blood. Reflexively, he reached up to the agonizing wound, dropping his blade in the process, and pressed down as hard as he could, restricting the flow of his life’s blood to the torn flesh. In an instant, he spun around and back pedaled as fast as he could to put distance between him and the insanely powerful enemy, barely dodging the second attack. Raising his left hand slightly, cringing for a moment in pain as he did so and focused air in front of his palm. “Vortex!” he called out. With a single thrust forward, the air fired like a rocket while Rei himself was pushed back by the recoil, which was more excessive than he intended. Damn...must be the power increase. he thought. As he pondered why the spell’s discharge was far stronger than before, he felt a peculiar sensation, as the flesh he pressed down upon began to writhe, as if his newfound power refused to let his body remain wounded. The skin mended, although throughout the process, Rei screamed. The pain was intense, like a wildfire under his skin, and in his blind agony, he bashed his fists into the ground, small craters forming. As the pain subsided, he saw what his hands were capable of and chuckled darkly. If I’m this strong now...how much further will it be able to go? Ash, due to the close proximity between himself and his opponent, had to resolve to take the attack head-on. He braced himself by placing his sword diagonally across his torso, forcing him to be pushed backwards by the torrent of wind before managing to dispel it with a red beam of energy that was emitted by his claws, causing the wind to soon dispel into a powerful gust. He looked upon the form of Rei after doing so, immediately understanding the consequences of the power he tapped into, although he said nothing in response. He simply awaited for his opponent to strike, knowing that reckless motions would risk even his life. Rei pushed himself upright and groaned. His vision was swimming and his body was shaking, something he attributed to simply being unused to his new overwhelming powers, causing them to take a greater toll on him in the short timespan he had them. You disgust me, Rei. Pathetic. You can’t even maintain my powers for a few minutes without breaking down. And to think, you’re the one who called me from my sleep, like a fool. As the Demiurge’s voice echoed in his mind, Rei glared at Ash, more intent on finishing the fight. A devious thought arrived, drowning out the demonic babble of his inner beast. “This...this is my last effort. I can’t maintain this form for much longer, so, I’ll go out with a bang.” As he spoke, he generated a sphere of wind between his hands. Inside that wind, an orb of water, and outside the gusts, a layer of electricity. Once the spheres were finalized, he threw the construct at Ash, following it up with a sudden burst of fire from his hands. His plan was simple, the moment the electric layer and the water layer interacted, not only would Ash be paralyzed by the shock, but the water would be separated into its component parts, which would fuel the fireball into a wide burst while the wind layer would feed the flames more, while keeping them relatively localized. The moment his attack was begun, he felt it, his powers destablized, causing the stark white attire to crumble, his magical power being unable to sustain it. The nature of the attack momentarily left Ash perplexed. However, its simplicity in execution was the reason for Ash's success in evading complete damage. As Rei charged his attack, Ash did so in a similar way. Allowing the blood of his finger to stream across the blade of his sword, he infused magic within it to such a great extent that the blood forced the entirety of the magical power to pulsate outwards in a beautiful, rose-like crimson. The aura that radiated outwards from Ash's blade would soon temper itself, wrapping around the shape of Ash's sword multiple times until it became nothing more than a shimmering aura. But therein lied its power. Clutching his blade with both hands, Ash swung his blade vertically downwards with such speed and ferocity that the ensuing pressure from his sword manifested as a crescent of blood red magic, which tore through the earth and sky as it collided with Rei's own projectile, exactly in the center between the two great combatants. As his attack met that of the Dragon Slayer, Rei could only watch as his last effort both literally and figuratively went up in smoke. The four elemental blast struggled with what Rei could only identify as a magically enhanced shockwave attack, only for both to cancel out catastrophically. Rei quickly covered his eyes as the scalding hot debris blew away from the explosion. When things finally settled again, he could only feel fury at his own powerlessness. All around him, violet mist formed as the final remnants of his transformation broke away and dissolved into nothing. The surge of power he felt had gone, as suddenly as it had come. Shaking, he could only breathe in ragged gasps as the loss of energy fully sank in. “You have to be kidding me. Just when I thought I closed that gap between us....it widens further than ever. Damn...” he said, exhaustion coloring his voice. "Don't be foolish, Rei Mokuzai." Ash told him, panting slightly as he did so. "Your strength has marginally increased...but that is the greatest issue." As the smoke parted, Ash was shown with burns littered across his clothes and body; he wasn't left uninjured from the aftermath of the explosion. "Strength is not power. Power should be yours. To resort to a Demon's power has made your own significantly more underwhelming. Understand this: I won't dare accept any request from someone who does not use their own power!" Rei couldn’t even come up with a witty retort, let alone a word in his defense. Ash’s words stung, but the truth in them hurt worse than any wound. All his life, he fought, and for much of his career as a mage, he fought with the power of demons, but not in control of that very power, always in fear of losing what little sway he had over the monsters in his head. After what felt like an eternity, he finally found his voice. “Control? That’s the reason I came here. I came to find you BECAUSE I can’t control it! Look at what just a fraction of it did to you. Imagine if it got loose, if I wasn’t constantly holding it back, just barely. What then? Where would you be? Probably dead, if not worse. And I know damn well it can get worse, because it happened when I bound it to myself. It beat me! And if I slip again, I won’t be able to stop it.” As he ranted, he could hear the very thing he referred to taunt him with threats of killing the people he loved most, and how it would do it with his own hands. “If I slip again, Ash...it’ll be a war unlike any you’ve ever seen, and the outcome is predestined, we all lose. Unless you either become one of the eight keys to lock it up if such a thing happens, or you find me somebody who will.”